A sign outside a store in Nagahama, Japan has gone viral thanks to the chubby-cheeked baby on it — but not for being as cute and angelic as the viral Thai hippo calf Moo Deng.
Well, the kid was cute, back when the sign looked like this:
Source: Google Maps
Unfortunately, extreme weather conditions have taken a toll, causing the ink to melt away and transforming the innocent-looking infant into something straight out of a nightmare-inducing horror flick.
The store Hangai Nagahama, located in Shiga Prefecture, was founded in 1933 and carries more than 70,000 items, ranging from clothing to bedding and other miscellaneous goods.
Japanese media first reported on the melting store sign in August last year following an intense heatwave that turned the ink on the baby’s eyes and mouth into dark, ominous voids — eerily similar to a ghost from ‘The Grudge’.
Source: @mydearmarie0326 on X
The store owner told Fuji News Network that this was the first time the sign has melted in the nine years since it was installed.
He first spotted the ghoulish makeover in early August and made a mental note to replace it.
However, the Obon holidays — an annual Japanese festival dedicated to honouring one’s ancestors — threw a wrench in his plans, so he figured he’d leave it up as a “summer horror experience”.
According to the store owner, visitors had been flocking to take photos of the baby after hearing about it in the news.
Looks like the owner never quite got around to replacing the sign.
On 12 Sept this year, X user @MokeibaseYamat posted an updated pic of the unfortunate baby’s further meltdown.
After another bout of scorching weather, the black ink had spread, transforming the baby into something straight out of a Junji Ito horror manga.
Unless the owner plans to repurpose it as a free, organic Halloween decoration, he might want to finally swap it out before it starts scaring off customers for good.
Also read: Japan experiences hottest July on record, more than 3,600 people in Tokyo taken to hospital
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and @MokeibaseYamat on X.
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They calmly picked apart the purported scammer's story by pointing out the inconsistencies.
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The woman's leg was reportedly severed in the accident.
Their family hopes the authorities can continue the search for their remains.